Discover Abadía Retuerta

The Abbey of Santa María de Retuerta was founded in the 12th century, near the banks of the River Duero. It has watched the centuries go by at the Retuerta estate, and it is one of the most important works of Romanesque architecture in the province of Valladolid. The Abbey was founded in 1146 by Sancho Ansúrez, its first abbot and also descendant of Conde Don Pedro Ansúrez, founder of the town of Valladolid.

The Premonstratensian Order (within which Sancho Ansúrez was ordained as a canon) was the first to occupy Retuerta, and the abbey was established as the order’s headquarters in Spain.

From its very origins, the Abbey was greatly supported by the monarchy, pontiffs and other individuals, and it was here where the General Chapters of the order would meet. Furthermore, from the 17th century it became the order’s General Novitiate in Spain.

The various surviving documents describe the lands around the abbey as an ancient estate with a long tradition of grape-growing. All of this reinforces the area’s great tourist potential in the way it combines the cultural interest of the historical buildings with all the appeal of quality wines.

The sale of church lands by Mendizábal in 1835 led to the monks being expelled from the monastery. It was taken over by the State, which transferred it to various companies and individuals until it became the property of the Novartis Group in 1988. The group successfully resumed the site’s age-old wine-making tradition, through Bodega Abadía Retuerta and, today, Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine.

The site consists of very different architectural styles, both late Romanesque and Gothic, with elements from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Where our heritage estate has been saved, following the work of ecclesiastical initiatives and the administration (such as the Monastery of Retuerta), it has been thanks to the initiative and investment of private businesses: they have truly valued our historical heritage, rescuing our monument from the destruction suffered by so many others.

Its sculptures and paintings have not been lost, and can today be admired in other locations. The façade shows an extension of the south loggia of the cloister, the hostelry. Above, the belfry (1655-56) stands next to the chancel of the church.

The church itself, as a bell-gable, has maintained its irregular-shaped layout. The Romanesque-style chancel stands out from the parts added on later, in the northern Gothic-style section. The cloister, the chapter house and the refectory are also worthy of note.

The cloister is located on the south side of the church, and it leads to rooms that include the refectory, which is situated parallel to the cloister rather than perpendicular to it, as in Cistercian monasteries.